1852 Naval Air Squadron | |
---|---|
Active | 1 February - 18 August 1945 [1] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Navy |
Type | Single-seat fighter squadron |
Role | Fighter squadron |
Size | Eighteen aircraft |
Part of | Fleet Air Arm |
Home station | See Naval air stations section for full list. |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Lieutenant Commander(A) I.F. Voller, RNVR |
Insignia | |
Identification Markings | 1V10+ single letters (May 1945) |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | Vought Corsair |
1852 Naval Air Squadron (1852 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RN Air Section Brunswick, in the United States on 1 February 1945 as a fighter squadron, with eighteen Vought Corsair Mk IV fighter aircraft. Following deck landing training aboard the USS Charger, it embarked in HMS Patroller for the United Kingdom on 5 May. It disembarked to HMS Gadwall, RNAS Belfast, on 25 May, but due to V-J Day it disbanded on 29 August.
1852 Naval Air Squadron formed on 1 February 1945 in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, which was located at United States Naval Air Station (USNAS) Brunswick, Maine, as a Single Seat Fighter Squadron, [2] under the command of Lieutenant Commander(A) I.F. Voller, RNVR. [3]
It was equipped with eighteen Vought Corsair aircraft, an American carrier-borne fighter-bomber. These were the Goodyear built FG-1D variant, designated Corsair Mk IV by the Fleet Air Arm. [4] Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings (ADDLs) were undertaken at the nearby Bar Harbor Naval Auxiliary Air Facility (NAAF), Bar Harbor, Maine. The squadron flew to RN Air Section Norfolk situated at USNAS Norfolk, to enable it to undertake Deck Landing Training (DLT) with the escort carrier USS Charger, before returning to RN Air Section Brunswick. [5] It then returned to RN Air Section Norfolk arriving on 30 April for embarkation in the Ruler-class escort carrier, HMS Patroller, for transportation to the United Kingdom. [6]
By the May all aircrew, equipment and aircraft were embarked in HMS Patroller, at Naval Station Norfolk, and she sailed to New York City to embark further passengers. On 10 May HMS Patroller then joined Convoy CU 69 and sailed for Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1852 Naval Air Squadron disembarked on 25 May to Royal Naval Air Maintenance Yard Belfast. [5]
The squadron moved to RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet), Derry, Northern Ireland, the next day, and while here it began to convert from a normal reflector gunsight to a gyro gunsight. [3] The squadron was to form part of the 18th Carrier Air Group, along with 822 Naval Air Squadron. When the Japanese surrendered on 15 August, the 18th Carrier Air Group became unnecessary and on 29 August the squadron moved to RNAS Nutts Corner (HMS Pintail), County Antrim, Northern Ireland, disbanding on arrival. [7]
1852 Naval Air Squadron flew only one aircraft type: [7]
1852 Naval Air Squadron operated from a naval air stations of the Royal Navy, in the United Kingdom, a number overseas, and a Royal Navy escort carrier: [7]
List of commanding officers of 1852 Naval Air Squadron with date of appointment: [3] [7]
HMS Nabthorpe was a Royal Navy, (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) situated at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Station Schofields located at Schofields, New South Wales during the final year of the Second World War. HMS Nabthorpe was also known as MONAB III and Royal Naval Air Station Schofields.
778 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. During the Second World War the squadron was a Service Trials Unit (STU) initially based at HMS Daedalus, RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, England before moving to HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, Angus, Scotland on 6 July 1940. The squadron tested all types of aircraft that could be used by the Royal Navy. Key to this was testing new types for deck landing on aircraft carriers. Such aircraft included various types of Supermarine Seafires, Grumman Hellcats, Grumman Martlets, Grumman Avengers, and Vought Corsairs. The squadron was reformed on 5 November 1951 with Douglas Skyraider AEW.1 but was disbanded on 7 July 1952 to form the basis of 849 Naval Air Squadron.
721 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). 721 Naval Air Squadron formed at HMS Gadwall, RNAS Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the beginning of March 1945, as a Fleet Requirements Unit for the British Pacific Fleet. Initially equipped with Vultee Vengeance target tugs, it arrived at HMS Nabaron, RNAS Ponam, Admiralty Islands in May 1945, and commenced operations towing targets. The squadron moved to HMS Nabsford, RNAMY Archerfield, Brisbane, Australia, during October and then relocated to Hong Kong at the beginning of 1946, moving to HMS Nabcatcher, RNAS Kai Tak, where it eventually disbanded at the end of 1947.
732 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It was initially formed in 1943 from a requirement for an Operational Training Unit for United States trained FAA pilots flying Vought Corsair fighter-bomber aircraft, at RN Air Section Brunswick, USNAS Brunswick, Maine, United States, and disbanded during 1944. In 1945 it was reformed for a brief period, as a Night Fighter Training Squadron, operating out of HMS Nighhawk, RNAS Drem, East Lothian, Scotland. Notably equipped with six Avro Anson 'flying classrooms', amongst other aircraft.
738 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA), which last disbanded during May 1970 at HMS Goldcrest, RNAS Brawdy. It initially formed as a Pilot Training Squadron formed at HMS Asbury, RNAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, in February 1943. The squadron moved to RNAS Lewiston, Maine, United States, at the end of July 1943 and also providing advanced carrier training to American-trained Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) pilots and it later provided complete Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance (TBR) aircrew for Grumman Avenger FAA squadrons. The squadron moved to RNAS Brunswick, Maine, in February 1945 and disbanded there in July 1945. 738 Naval Air Squadron was next active as part of the Naval Air Fighter School, between May 1950 and March 1954, providing newly qualified FAA pilots the operational techniques of air-to-air and air-to-ground firing. It had formed at HMS Seahawk, RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, England, moving to HMS Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth in 1953. It reformed in April 1954 at HMS Fulmar and now the squadron’s role was to instruct United States trained pilots on the British method and was also responsible for converting the FAA piston-engined pilots onto jet aircraft. It became an Advanced Flying Training Squadron in June 1962 providing training for low-level navigation, ground attack and air-to-air weapons training.
757 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was first formed as a Telegraphist Air Gunner Training Squadron in 1939, operating out of RNAS Worthy Down, but after three months it went into abeyance, only to reform again in the same role, at the same location, in 1941 and operating until 1942. It then reformed as a Fighter Pool Squadron & Operational Training Unit at RNAS Puttalam, in Sri Lanka, in 1943. After a brief spell at RNAMY Tambaram, in India, the squadron finally disbanded at RNAS Katukurunda, in Sri Lanka, at the beginning of 1946.
768 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It last disbanded at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, in March 1949, having been formed as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron, in December 1948, to ensure one American-style signal trained DLCO could be located at every FAA station. It first formed as part of the Deck Landing Training School at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, in January 1941, as a Deck Landing Training Squadron. Advanced training was in HMS Argus, for which a detachment was maintained at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, where it wholly moved to in March 1943. September saw a move to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, followed by a further move to HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch in January 1944. Training used escort carriers on the Firth of Clyde and a detachment was maintained at (Heathfield)Ayr throughout this period, with the squadron returning there in July 1945, at this time HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr. In August the squadron moved to HMS Corncrake, RNAS Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland but then in October it joined up with the Deck Landing School at HMS Peewit, RNAS East Haven, Scotland, where it disbanded in April 1946.
777 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit in West Africa during the Second World War. Throughout most of 1943, the squadron was responsible for the air defence of Sierra Leone. It disbanded at HMS Spurwing, RNAS Hastings, Sierra Leone, during December 1944. The squadron reformed in May 1945, from 'B' Flight of 778 Naval Air Squadron, as a Carrier Trials Unit operating aboard HMS Pretoria Castle, and using shore bases at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, and HMS Peregrine, RNAS Ford in England, and HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr, in Scotland. 777 Naval Air Squadron number was assigned to the aircraft collection at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in April 2006.
1772 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA), which last disbanded, at Portsmouth, in March 1946. The squadron formed at HMS Ringtail, RNAS Burscough as a Fighter Squadron during May 1944. It joined HMS Ruler for passage to Australia leaving January 1945 and disembarking at HMS Nabstock, RNAS Schofields, mid-March. The squadron embarked in HMS Indefatigable in July, joining the British Pacific Fleet for attacks againgst the Japanese home islands. After the end of the Second World War it dropped supplies on PoW camps.
1820 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, on 1 April 1944 and embarked in HMS Arbiter during July. However its aircraft were judged unsatisfactory for their intended role and the squadron disbanded on 16 December 1944 at HMS Ringtail, RNAS Burscough. The squadron only flew one type of aircraft, the Curtiss Helldiver I.
1850 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick as a fighter squadron in August 1944, with Vought Corsair aircraft before joining HMS Reaper to cross the Atlantic. On arrival in the UK it expanded its aircraft absorbing part of the disbanded 1849 Naval Air Squadron. After working up at HMS Gadwall, at RNAS Belfast, HMS Gannet, at RNAS Eglinton and HMS Wagtail, at RNAS Ayr, the squadron undertook deck landing training on HMS Venerable during February 1945, before joining her sister ship, HMS Vengeance. The ship sailed for the Far East to join the British Pacific Fleet and the squadron went ashore to HMS Valluru at Tambaram and HMS Garuda, at Coimbatore, in southern India in June for weapon training and dive bombing practice, becoming part of the 13th Carrier Air Group. With the end of the Second World War it returned to the UK and disbanded at HMS Siskin, at RNAS Gosport, in August 1946.
1851 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm which last disbanded in 1946. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick as a fighter squadron, in September 1944 and embarked on HMS Thane at the end of the year for transportation to the UK, arriving at Belfast. The squadron embarked in HMS Venerable in March 1945, it spent some time in the Mediterranean using HMS Falcon, RNAS Hal Far, as a shore station. Eventually reaching HMS Valluru, RNAMY Tambaram, in southern India in July, the squadron became part of the 15th Carrier Air Group, but too late to see action during the Second World War.
1853 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RN Air Section Brunswick, in the United States on 1 April 1945 as a fighter squadron, with eighteen Vought Corsair Mk IV fighter aircraft. Following deck landing training aboard USS Charger, it embarked in HMS Rajah for the United Kingdom on 24 July. It disembarked to HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, on 6 August, but due to V-J Day it disbanded there on 15 August.
1843 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1953 to 1957. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, in May 1944, as a fighter squadron. It arrived in the UK aboard HMS Trouncer in August. Based at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland and training at HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr, Scotland, the squadron had deck landing training aboard HMS Patroller in December, before joining HMS Arbiter in February 1945, as part of the 10th Naval Fighter Wing. Sailing to Australia, the squadron became part of the 3rd Carrier Air Group, but saw no action before the war ended and disbanded in October 1945. It reformed as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Branch anti-submarine squadron, in the Scottish Air Division, from 1953 and disbanded in 1957.
1845 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RN Air Section Brunswick, United States, in June 1944 as a fighter squadron, with eighteen Vought Corsair Mk III fighter aircraft. It embarked in HMS Puncher on 30 August, disembarking to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, on 18 September and joining the 10th Naval Fighter Wing. It re-equipped with twenty-four Vought Corsair Mk IV, and embarked HMS Slinger in December, sailing for the British Pacific Fleet, the squadron was disbanded in April 1945, and its aircraft and personnel absorbed into squadrons aboard the aircraft carriers HMS Formidable and HMS Victorious. On 1 June it reformed in Australia as a single seater fighter squadron at HMS Nabsford, RNAMY Archerfield, Queensland, and it shortly later became a spare squadron in the 3rd Carrier Air Group at HMS Nabbington, RNAS Nowra, New South Wales. With the end of the Second World War the squadron disbanded on 24 October.
1846 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RN Air Section Brunswick in July 1944 as a fighter squadron, with eighteen Vought Corsair Mk III fighter aircraft. It embarked in HMS Ranee in October, disembarking to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton at the beginning of November, where it expanded to twenty-four aircraft by absorbing part of the disbanded 1848 Naval Air Squadron. In February 1945, it re-equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV, having joined HMS Colossus at the start of the year. The aircraft carrier departed for the Far East in February, and its aircraft formed part of the 14th Carrier Air Group when this formed in June at HMS Valluru, Royal Naval Aircraft Maintenance Yard Tambaram. The squadron was too late for World War II, and eventually disbanded at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, in July 1946.
1848 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It officially formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, in July 1944 as a fighter squadron. It was quipped with Vought Corsair fighter aircraft. The squadron embarked in HMS Ranee in October for the Atlantic crossing back to the United Kingdom. However, soon after arrival it disbanded at HMS Landrail, at RNAS Machrihanish, in November, its resources shared equally between 1843, 1845 and 1846 Naval Air Squadrons.
1849 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick as a fighter squadron at the start of 1944, equipped with Vought Corsair fighter aircraft. It embarked in HMS Reaper for transport to the UK in November. The squadron suffered from a high accident rate and disbanded on arrival in the UK, in December, with its aircraft and personnel dispersed between 1845 and 1850 Naval Air Squadrons.
HMS Nabstock was a Royal Navy (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) which was initially located at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airfield RAAF Maryborough situated in Maryborough, Queensland. HMS Nabstock was also known as MONAB VI and Royal Naval Air Station Maryborough, between June and November 1945. It decommissioned and moved to RAAF Station Schofields located at Schofields, New South Wales, where MONAB VI recommissioned as HMS Nabstock and known here as Royal Naval Air Station Schofields until June 1946.